David R. SPENCER

SPENCER, Dr. David R.

Dr. David R. Spencer passed away on Monday, February 29, 2016 in London, Ontario. David is survived by his wife, Judi; daughters. Shara and Kyra Lynn; grandsons. Sam and Nicholas; and his family, Douglas (Bud) Boughner, Larry Spencer, and Mike Spencer. He will be greatly missed by his friends, extended family, colleagues, students, and cats.
  After graduating from the Radio and Television Arts program at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, he started his career as a radio journalist. David worked as an announcer, producer, and production manager in Montreal and Toronto before becoming a faculty member in the Radio Broadcasting Program at Humber College. A dedicated learner, David earned a Ph.D. in History and Philosophy from the University of Toronto, accepting an appointment on the faculty in the Graduate School of Journalism at The University of Western Ontario. While at Western, David served as Associate Dean, Acting Dean, and a founding member of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS). He was promoted to Full Professor in 2002.
  In the course of his career, David published three books, served as the Head of the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, and as the President of the American Journalism Historians Association. He was twice nominated for the prestigious Bank of Nova Scotia Teaching Award, served as a Director on the Board of the Gordon Sinclair Foundation, and as an editor of J- Source: The Canadian Journalism Project.
  A loss keenly felt, a colleague wrote: 'He always spoke of his family with deep caring and pride, of his work with enthusiasm and excitement, and of the other rich corners of his life with an infectious pleasure and gratitude'. Friends and colleagues have shared fond memories of his mentorship, kindness, humorous stories, and love of history. In addition to his academic career, David loved to share his passion for antique radios, gramophones, and vintage British sports cars. Thoughtful, encouraging, and kind, David was someone who not only saw injustice in the world, but actively did something to fix it, quietly, (and sometimes loudly), working to make the world a more peaceful, inclusive, and better place.
  To honour his legacy at Western and his love of nature, a tree will be planted on campus. Donations can be made to Animal Alert or the Children's Health Foundation – London in his memory in lieu of a service.